Letters to the Editor 8/3/2014

MICHAEL J. MULLEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Letter writers who reside in and outside Scranton express their objections to Scranton City Council’s approval of a 0.75 percent commuter tax to help the city replenish its pension fund.

Little hope for

crumbling city

Editor: Just when you thought the leadership in the city of Scranton could not get any worse you see the pathetic, politically motivated school board majority choose one of its cronies, who isn’t qualified, to run the district.

We have a school director who can’t see the conflict of interest of being on the school board and being the head of the city’s Democratic Party.

We have a rookie mayor and council, who I had hope for, rushing headlong into imposing a commuter tax to shore up a shaky pension plan without any substantiative concessions from the unions first. Can anyone explain how a tax on commuters who have no representation is legal in this country? Boston Tea Party anyone?

I moved to Scranton 30 years ago because I loved the area and its residents and I chose to stay and invest in the city for three decades because I had hope that we would overcome our problems and the city would become the center of arts, culture, education and business for the entire northeast corner of our state.

Instead, because of a lack of leadership and vision on the local and state levels, and frankly a lack of interest and need for accountability by the residents of Scranton, I am afraid we are hammering the last of the nails into our own coffin.

We must do better. We must engage. We must move past the petty politics and work together to save this city and with it, in many ways, the entire region.

To end on a positive note, I was heartened to see my friend, Wayne Evans, selected to fill the vacant city council seat. How refreshing to have the best candidate chosen instead of the usual political mannequin. It kind of gives me hope.

BOB SHUMAKER

SCRANTON

Backlash notice

Editor: I see that the city of Scranton has voted to add an additional burden of a commuter tax on nonresidents of Scranton who work within the city limits. Well, I suppose congratulations are in order as Scranton City Council has decided to slow the bleeding by adding another financial bandage to the wound and ignoring the real problem.

As a nonresident of Scranton, I have done a brief summary of my expenses and realized I was spending nearly $1,700 per year within the city for fuel, food and incidentals. Since this additional tax burden has been levied against me in the form of this new commuter tax, I am now going to conduct all of my commerce outside of the city limits.

So Mayor Bill Courtright should be aware that as a result, the city’s businesses are going to suffer a net loss of $1,700. I work with a large number of people who feel the same way.

This very well may be the beginning of the end.

Can you say Stockton, California?

EDWARD H. KIEFER

KINGSLEY,

SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY

Better option

Editor: The July 31 letter from James Mulligan outlined a laundry list of legitimate ideas to fund the Scranton pension fund without imposing a commuter tax.

Perhaps the residents of Scranton should have elected Mr. Mulligan instead of a karate instructor.

DONNA TOMASETTI

DUNMORE

Tough on Wayne

Editor: Regarding your July 21 editorial (“DRBC gas pains”), I feel that Gov. Tom Corbett should have cut out of the budget the entire amount designated for the Delaware River Basin Commission.

The 8 million people downstream should do just like all Wayne County residents do — drill wells. They won’t because it is too costly but they use their clout to get their electric power line throughout Wayne County.

Plus, the DRBC has never finished its regulations for applications for gas drilling in Wayne County. It has been about two or three years that our farmers could have used the money to pay off their debts. But it can hold us hostage on our property rights while it is not required to give anything.

Between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the DRBC board, they have stopped any new development, have put all kinds of regulation on our farmers and new development so that the people downstream can enjoy their high quality of life and to heck with the little folks in Wayne County.

Your liberal newspaper just takes the Democrats’ liberal ways — spend our money foolishly and regulate everything we do. I thought you were to be the watchdogs for the people but you’re not. Just take a good look at the city of Scranton to see what the liberals do best — spend money and tax.

DONALD E. OLSOMMER

MOSCOW

Short on ideas

Editor: The ultra conservatives that seem to have taken hostage the entire Republican Party seem to be pretty much loudly against many things: women, the poor, decent health care, immigrants, science, intellectuals and so on.

What they seem to be very short on are constructive ideas. They are like a bunch of disgruntled angry old men unhappy that they are no longer young and the world is changing around them. But as heirs of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Eisenhower, not so much.

TOM MIELCZAREK

MADISONVILLE

Eye-opener

Editor: I have to share this very positive discovery with others in our area. Sierra Club had an amazing service trip in June to Genesis Farm, where we worked on four prototype gardens for educational purposes.

Genesis Farm is a 226-acre sustainable farm and education center in Blairstown, N.J., near the Delaware Water Gap. It has a 50-acre community-supported garden, a composting toilet in the farmhouse, solar panels that supply 90 percent of its electricity, beehives for pollinators, a library, straw buildings, and so much more.

The survival of humans depends on the health of all the life on Earth. Genesis Farm is a fantastic place to learn more about what we can do as individuals and groups. Working with other Sierra Club members the wonderful Genesis Farm staff completed this awesome experience.

Check out www.genesisfarm.org.

ROBERTA BRENTANO

SCRANTON

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